RAISIN-TYPE GRAPE PRODUCTION UP 25.5 PERCENT
The California raisin-type variety grape forecast is 2.40 million tons, up 25.5 percent from the 2012 final production according to USDA. Based on the objective measurement survey, bunches per vine totaled a record 47.7 compared to 29.1 in 2012. Acreage of bearing age is 200,000,which means a record high yield is expected. The 2013 California raisin-type grape crop is shaping up to be the largest crop since 2008. Weather conditions have been good for crop development, which is a few days ahead of normal. Mildew pressure was low, but mites were significant.
OLIVE CROP DOWN 4 PERCENT
USDA says the 2013 California canning olive crop forecast is 75,000 tons,down 4 percent from last year’s crop of 78,500 tons. Bearing acreage is estimated at 25,000 for a yield of 3.00 tons per acre.The California canning olive crop outlook was looking positive, but
the crop looks to be slightly lower than 2012. Weather conditions
during the bloom period were generally good. The crop is 1-2 weeks ahead of normal.
TULARE CO BASED SIERRA BANK CORP PROFIT UP 48%
For the second quarter of 2013, Porterville-based Sierra Bancorp reported a net income of $3.8 million, up 48%, from the second quarter of 2012. and its stock is up over 40% year to date.The bank holding company has 25 branches and 400 employees. Bank of Sierra has just under a 20% market share in the county for deposits, the top bank ahead of number two of Bank of America in the latest FDIC survey. The health of the bank is good proxy for the health of Tulare County. Its latest results are the highest since the fourth quarter of 2009 – just as the recession hit.
MORE AG FIRMS ADD SOLAR
A second Tulare County dairy has added solar to help power their production this month. Already Curti Farms of Tulare has a 719Kw system covering 85% of their power needs and now Woodville-area diary Fernandes Bros is adding a 1MW unit valued at $2.8 million that should handle 95% of the farm’s power requirements.
In Parlier ,SunWest Fruit Co. is expanding its Pickett Solar installation to around triple its original size.The Parlier, Calif.-based grower-shipper is adding a 2-megawatt project that will bring its total offset of electricity to 72%, SunWest Fruit president Martin Britz said in a news release.The addition to an existing system will bring its overall size to 2.9 megawatts, with 9,576 solar panels. That will offset about 3.9 million kilowatt hours annually, the equivalent of 490 homes.
Pickett Solar — a division of Fresno, Calif.-based Don Pickett & Associates — has done solar projects for clients including Fowler Packing Co., Cook Land Co., Mid Valley Packaging & Supply and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
In Kingsburg, HMC Farms, is moving forward with Cenergy Power on a 10 acre solar photovoltaic farm. The large 2.2 megawatt (MW) solar system will span across 390,000 square feet of ground space and will enable HMC to significantly hedge against rising electric utility charges on two cold storage and packaging meters. An additional 70 kilowatt (kW) solar carport will be added to supplant HMC’s energy use at the main office building on the property.